Served in pretty, hinged Mason jars, squat glass pots or ceramic ramekins, rillettes (pronounced ree-YEHT or rih-LEHTS) — savory, toothsome meats or fish that have been braised or prepared as confit — are multiplying on restaurant menus.
The dish that 19th Century French novelist Honore de Balzac lovingly called “brown jam” is rustic fare, spread onto bread, spooned from small pots and shared with friends. Born of traditional peasant techniques, rillettes can be made of pork, game, poultry, fish or even vegetables that are braised with fat until tender and deeply flavored — even caramelized — then seasoned or spiced and packed into jars.
Don’t look for a genteel layer of aspic or the beautiful mosaic of many terrines; rillettes is simply a pot filled with flavor, meat condensed to its essence.
Rillettes are best in small quantities, great nosh food when matched with contrasting bites of warm bread, a tart bite of pickle, the acidic punch of mustard. Spread some on toasted bread, pair it with a glass of wine, maybe a handful of cornichons and a bit of salad, and you have a perfect appetizer — or a light, casual supper.
To make rillettes, meats are first marinated or given a brief salt cure, then braised or poached in their own fat until very tender. The meat is then mixed with a bit of the reserved poaching liquid and fat, maybe a few herbs. That’s it.
Packed into jars or terrines, loaf pans or ramekins, they’re stored in the refrigerator, where they can last up to a week — longer if sealed with a layer of duck fat or butter.
Pork rillettes
More Top Picks Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely For Men
Prep: 45 minutes
Marinate: 3 days
Cook: 2 hours
Chill: 1-3 days
Makes: 14 servings
From chef Suzanne Goin of A.O.C. wine bar in Los Angeles. Pork fat back and belly are sold at Asian markets and by some butchers. Start the recipe at least four days before you plan to serve.
1 pound each, cut into 1-inch dice: pork shoulder, pork belly
1/2 pound pork fat back, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 teaspoon each: kosher salt, thyme leaves
1 bay leaf, coarsely torn
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup diced onion
2/3 cup each: minced shallots, dry white wine
1. Place the shoulder, belly and fat back in separate mounds in a large, non-reactive baking dish; sprinkle each evenly with the salt, thyme, bay leaf and a pinch of pepper. Massage the seasoning into each separate mound with your hands; cover and refrigerate 3 days.
2. Put half the seasoned pork fat in a medium non-reactive saucepan; cook over low heat until the fat is melted. Add the remaining pork; cook, stirring often, until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the onion and shallots; cook until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the wine; increase the heat so the mixture just simmers. Cook until the wine has evaporated and the meat shreds easily, 20-30 minutes.
3. Strain the fat from the pork; set both aside until cool enough to handle. Shred the meat with your fingers into a large bowl; season additionally, if desired. Stir, adding fat as needed, until the meat achieves a spreadable consistency.
4. Pack the pork in a terrine or non-reactive loaf pan; lightly cover with plastic wrap. Place a board or book that will fit inside the pan and weigh this down with something heavy, such as a couple of cans or a brick. Refrigerate overnight or longer (Goin recommends 3 days) before serving. Serve at room temperature with coarsely ground pepper.
Nutrition information
Per serving: 272 calories, 79% of calories from fat, 24 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 48 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 117 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Trout rillettes
Recipe key: Fast
Prep: 18 minutes
Cook: 7 minutes
Makes: 12 servings
From chef Josef Centeno, recently of Lot 1 in Los Angeles. Lebni, a fresh Middle Eastern cheese, is available at Middle Eastern markets. Bottled yuzu juice is available at Asian markets; you can substitute half lemon juice, half lime juice. Centeno fills 3-ounce Mason jars with the rillettes, sealing the surface with melted butter or ghee to prevent oxidation.
9 ounces ocean trout fillet, skinned
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 ounces smoked salmon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lebni
1 tablespoon each: honey, chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons each, chopped fresh: parsley, cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons yuzu juice or to taste
1/8 teaspoon cumin
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the trout with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; place in a baking dish. Bake until the flesh just begins to firm and turn opaque, 7-8 minutes. Remove the trout immediately to a plate; refrigerate until chilled.
2. Gently mix together the smoked salmon and butter with a whisk or a fork in a medium bowl until the fish has a nice shredded texture. Coarsely break up the chilled trout, with your hands or a fork, into the bowl with the salmon; mix until incorporated.
3. Stir together the lebni, honey, dill, parsley, cilantro, yuzu and cumin in a small bowl. Fold the lebni mixture into the trout until thoroughly combined. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Add additional yuzu to taste, if desired.
Nutrition information
Per serving: 170 calories, 79% of calories from fat, 15 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 54 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 228 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
More Top Picks Best Scalp Massagers For Migraines
Lamb rillettes
Prep: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Marinate: 24 hours
Cook: 2 hours, 50 minutes
Makes: 12 servings
From Octavio Becerra of Palate Food+Wine in Glendale, Calif. Becerra packs rillettes in 3-ounce Mason jars and serves them with croutons and pickles.
Braised lamb:
2 1/2 pounds combined lamb neck, shoulder and shank
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup each, diced: carrot, celery
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 head whole garlic, split lengthwise
1/2 bunch thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
4 ounces lamb fat
1/2 cup duck fat
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the rillettes:
1/4 teaspoon each: chopped Italian parsley, sliced chives, minced tarragon, minced thyme
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/4 cup each: duck fat, softened butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Combine the lamb, onion, carrot, celery, white wine, garlic, thyme and bay leaf in a large, non-reactive bowl. Cover; marinate, refrigerated, 24 hours. Strain, reserving the wine. Separate the lamb, herbs and wine from the vegetables; reserve each individually.
2. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lamb; cook, searing the pieces on all sides to a rich brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove the lamb from the Dutch oven; set aside.
3. Add the vegetables; cook until tender, 5-7 minutes. Pour in the reserved wine; deglaze the pan, scraping up the flavoring at the base.
4. Return the lamb to the pan; add the chicken broth, lamb fat, duck fat, the reserved herbs and the sea salt, stirring to combine. Heat to a slow boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven; place it in the oven. Braise the lamb until it falls apart at the touch, about 2 1/2 hours.
5. Remove the lamb, vegetables and herbs from the Dutch oven, leaving the liquid. Set aside the lamb, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Place the Dutch oven over high heat on the stove top; reduce the liquid by half. Remove from heat; set aside 1/2 cup of the reduced liquid, reserving the rest for another use.
6. Remove the meat from the lamb bones; finely shred. You will have about 1 pound.
7. For the rillettes, thoroughly combine the lamb, parsley, chives, tarragon, thyme, shallots and duck fat in a medium bowl, using your hands or a fork. Stir in the butter and reduced braising liquid until incorporated. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed; allow the rillettes to come to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition information
Per serving: 261 calories, 65% of calories from fat, 19 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 18 g protein, 185 mg sodium, 0 g fiber